Recent dinners…
I’ve enjoyed making dinner, as I usually do, but it’s been extra fun with the changing of the seasons. I like the fall foods….it means cooking with pumpkin and squash and making more hearty, heavy, hot meals. 
Baked Beans and Dogs (The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook, p. 116). We had this with sausage cut up on top (grilled on George Foreman) and green beans.
Vegan Sweet Potato and Pecan Tamales with Amy’s Chili. I bought the tamales from Whole Foods in the refrigeration section (by the breads). The chili comes from the can (low sodium). Big salad on the side drizzled in balsamic vinegar.
Roasted Red Kuri Squash with Gnocchi (from Eat, Drink, & Be Vegan, p. 141). This sauce is just amazing over the store bought vegan gnocchi I got. I could eat it by itself, and I did that too! I also ate it later in the week with other things, as you will see. Here I had a small salad and broccoli.
Tofu and Okra Stir-fry with Teriyaki and Hot Sauce. Throwing together a stir-fry is one of the most fun and delicious dinners to make and eat. It can be so satisfying and healthy too! This one was made up of tofu, okra, lima beans, carrots, tomatoes, and onions. With a side of hearty long-grain brown rice, this was awesome! I was feeling in a chopstick kind of mood (since that’s what I usually use when I get a stir-fry at Genghis). I managed to use the chopsticks until the last little bit. Then I switched to a fork so I could eat every little last bit. 
Leftovers Night. Have these at your house? I love leftovers!! I know it’s a personal thing. Eric doesn’t like leftovers at all. So when he’s not going to be around for dinner, I indulge in all the extra stuff left in our fridge. I had the Red Kuri Squash Sauce, baked beans, green beans, and broccoli. The squash and bean combo was awesome. I ate those two together. Yum!
alaina said,
November 2, 2008 at 2:24 pm
that baked beans n sausage looks yummy! i was thinking of making something similar today.
Veggie Granny said,
November 5, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Wow……..this food all looks so yummy. I hope that when I go to my sweet daughter-in-laws house this holiday season, she makes some good vegan food like you have shown here. The problem for me is that it takes time to be so creative! I need advice on the BEST vegan cookbook to purchase. I don’t need one that is necessarily comprehensive, just one that has great recipes that aren’t too involved or overly complicated. Advice?
Tara said,
November 10, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Hey sweet mom-in-law!! That’s such a hard question because there are so many good ones. I would say the cookbook I use the most, and that has the most delicious (meaning you would serve it to guests) and easiest would be Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan. That’s the cookbook with your favorite Super Charge Me Cookies in it. I also use The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook an awful lot. I got that one after I went to the cooking weekend in Santa Rosa. It’s best for…just like the title says…quick and easy (and healthy) weeknight dinners. You can pick through mine when you get here for Thanksgiving and see what you think.
I think you’re great at putting meals together….we always eat fabulously when we’re at your house.
*Hugs*
Don’t I just have the best mother-in-law you guys?!?!